Swords and Sorcery
by hoard-of-stars
Summary: Some demigods are being sent on a quest to find a soul for Thanatos. They'll also be attending Hogwarts as students and aiding with the brewing war. However, nothing is ever so simple. Of course, there's going to be a lot of complications, including drama, homophobes, bullies, etc., but that's all in the fine print. And as you may know, no one ever reads the fine print. Disclaimer!
1. Chapter 1

_Nico's POV_

I don't know what everyone else was doing, but I was in Cabin 13. In my bed. Sleeping. I also don't know why everybody's nOTP seems to be Nico and Sleep, because whenever we get together we're always disturbed.

Like today. I was sleeping and dreaming about a perfect world, one where Bianca and my mother were alive, one where no wars had happened, one where Percy, Annabeth and I never fell into Tartarus. It was a good dream. But it _had_ to be disturbed by that shithead Leo. I still have to kill him for that, come to think of it. Anyway, the way I heard it, he took the largest hammer he owned and started banging the door of the Hades Cabin with it, shouting over the noise," NICO DI ANGELO! CHIRON WANTS YOUR ASS IN THE BIG HOUSE _NOW!_ " I obliged, however disgruntled I was, wrapping twenty blankets around myself on the way there.

When I got to the Big House, several other demigods were there. Let me give you a list:  
Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, Piper McLean, Jason Grace, Frank Zhang, Hazel Levesque, Leo Valdez (I almost strangled him on the spot), Calypso, Reyna Ramirez-Arellano, Will Solace, Lou Ellen Blackstone, Thalia Grace, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Grover Underwood, Travis Stoll, Connor Stoll, Katie Gardner, Clarisse la Rue, and Chris Rodriguez. I took a seat in between Hazel and Reyna, wrapped the blankets tighter around myself, and listened to was Chiron was rambling on about.

"I suppose you are wondering why you're here. By order of the gods, you all are being sent on a quest." There were many collective groans. Percy actually got up, walked out, and yelled at the sky, "FUCK YOU, ZEUS!" Then walked back in as if nothing had happened. "Pietro Jordan, are we done?" Mr D drawled, bored. Percy just huffed.

"As I was saying, you are all being sent on a quest. You are going to be sent to a wizarding school in England, called Hogwarts. There is a war brewing there and there will be tremendous manslaughter if they do not get proper aid. From what I've heard, they are entering a war a thousand times worse than the one we demigods have very recently come out of. The people you will be helping are distant descendants of Hecate who call themselves wizards. Lou Ellen, being a daughter of Hecate herself, will be useful on this quest." Everyone looked at her and she flushed slightly. "There is a boy called Harry Potter. He has twice escaped death and is quite famous for that feat. Meet him. Befriend him. Form allies and teach them. Learn from them yourselves. You will leave tomorrow morning."

"Wait- so we're going to England to help the wizards in a war? After we just got our own asses out of one?" Annabeth stood up indignantly.

Chiron blanched slightly. "Partly. But actually, you are going to Hogwarts to capture a soul for Thanatos. This person has avoided death many times. That's where Mister di Angelo and Miss Levesque come in." 

My head snapped up when I heard my name, and Hazel leaned forward a little.

"So we have to get Harry Potter for Thanatos?" I yawned a little. "Not so difficult."

Chiron shook his head. "He is destined to die. Harry Potter is not the one who you are going to retrieve. There is a professor who resides at Hogwarts. She is a legacy of Athena, and goes by Minerva McGonagall. She is, as you young ones say, extremely _badass._ "

"We're going to get an old woman for Thanatos?" I wrinkled my nose.

"My boy, this is not any mere old woman!" Chiron looked very intently at me. "This woman has made Death himself turn and flee with a simply short-lived glare! Death has gone to retrieve her soul quite a few times. She was hit by the Stunning Spell four times to the chest while rushing to defend Hogwarts' gamekeeper, a friendly half-giant, from his forceful eviction. A woman, Dolores Umbridge, was attempting to capture him and remove him from Hogwarts simply because he was half-giant, not fully human and not of pure wizarding bloodline. They bound him like an animal, demigods, with ropes around his arms and ankles."

Maybe that made Chiron to downcast because he was a centaur. They weren't the calmest, sanest creatures, to say the least, and often got a bad rep a freaky monsters. I could relate.

"Note that Stunning Spells are, mind you, so powerful it only takes about six to knock out a dragon the size of a small hill."

Chiron paused, perhaps to let us soak that in.

"They attacked her." he continued sadly. "Before she even had the chance to draw her wand in defense. She was supposed to die. They moved her to the wizarding hospital for special treatment. When Thanatos appeared to claim her soul, she firmly turned him away. Politely at first, and then, upon further insisting from Thanatos, with more colourful language, to say the least. She claimed she could not leave the students of Hogwarts without protection from 'that toad, Umbridge', and with the war brewing she was not about to abandon her home and family. As you see…" Chiron allowed himself a small smile. "Family runs much deeper than blood. _The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb._ She defied Death in order to stand by her family. All well and good, but the gods have decreed that after the war is over, her soul must be sent to the Underworld."

All of us were silent. And we thought _our_ world was fucked up!

"All that is left to say, demigods, is a simple question. _Do you accept this quest?_ "

"I accept this quest." I said quietly, staring at my lap. Even as I said though words, however, I knew I would never be able to send this selfless woman to the Underworld.

"I accept as well." Hazel whispered from next to me.

"As do I." Reyna spoke up. More and more people accepted until none remained.

"That is all, demigods. You may go start packing."

I trudged back to my cabin and found a shiny black suitcase waiting on my bed. There was a note pinned to it.

 _Nico,_

 _I know of the quest you are being sent on. I sincerely did not want to see you nor your sister go, but the other gods overpowered my opinion for my children to have peace after the War (as usual). I do not know what will happen in your future but can only warn you that some people may try to sway your loyalties. They will make incredible offers that many have fallen for. Do not let your loyalties be swayed. Befriend the unfriendly, my son. Doing so may change the fate of the world. Remember what I have told you not too long ago: Some deaths cannot, or should not, be prevented. Be safe. Look out for Hazel. I look forward to seeing you both when you return. So does Persephone, though she will not admit it._

 _Your father,_

 _Hades._

Well. That was creepy, and I know creepy. I folded the note and stuck it in my pocket. Then I grabbed random articles of clothing and tossed them into the suitcase, along with tons of junk food that would give Will a heart attack at the sight of. When I had 'packed' sufficiently, I pulled a box out from under my bed that had the words, _look when sad_ , scrawled across the top in black Sharpie. I placed it inside, shut the suitcase, then fell back asleep. 

This time it actually went quite well, but I was woken up by another voice yelling through the door. "Hey, Death Breath!" Dammit. Solace. "Time to go!"

I tried to ignore him, but at one point the noise became too much. I rolled out of bed, tugged on sweats and a t-shirt, grabbed my suitcase and opened the door. Will Solace was standing behind it, practically glowing with anticipation. I hissed. "The light, the light!"

He rolled his eyes. "Come on, Death Boy. Hurry!."

"Fuck." I muttered, dragging my suitcase behind me.

When we met up with everyone else, Clarisse dropped the bomb.

"So how're we getting there? We can't take pegasi, because there are too many of us and they can't also carry the luggage. Are the wizards coming to get us?"

Chiron shook his head. "The borders of the camp would not let them in. I was actually considering, if Mister di Angelo was willing…" He gestured vaguely.

I think Will realized what he was insinuating before I did. "Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, _no._ Hell no! You can't expect him to shadow-travel all twenty of us across the Atlantic! It could kill him! I am _not_ standing for this! I just barely managed to bring him back from the brink! After that stunt he pulled, risking his life to shadow-travel the Athena Parthenos halfway across the world? I will _not_ risk him fading into the shadows again, do you hear me? I will _not_! Your stupid quest doesn't matter more than the life of yet another one of our demigods!" His fists were clenched and he looked angrier than I'd ever seen him.

"Will, I understand your concern. Believe me, I contemplated it and all the possible risks. He has been resting, and he hasn't travelled lately. He is strong enough to attempt this. However, the final decision lies with Mister di Angelo himself. Nico, what will it be?" Chiron turned his gaze to me.

I felt Will's pleading eyes upon mine, begging me to say no. I swallowed hard and ripped my gaze away from his own. "I will." I moistened my lips.

"Alright, the matter is settled then." Chiron ignored Will's sputters of protest and told us all to join hands in a circle, our luggage between our knees.

I found Hazel holding my left hand and Reyna holding my right. Will stayed far away from me, his angry glare burning me.

"Alright, guys. Here we go." I whispered.

I could feel myself fading rapidly and heard the surprised yelps of the others. The sensation of travel was unfamiliar for a moment, but not uncomfortable.

We rematerialized in front of a group of redheaded wizards, a brunette girl, and a boy that looked strikingly similar to Percy. Our luggage was scattered across the pavement. I noticed my black one several feet away.

I could feel my knees beginning to buckle slightly from the travel. I managed to stay standing, but my resolve crumbled as Mini-Percy came to introduce himself and shake our hands.

The death waves rolling off of him were enough to send me to my knees, crying out in pain. With the combined exhaust from shadow-travelling, I quickly found that it was a burden to keep my eyes open. So I let them slide closed, blocking out the shouts of, "Who the fuck has my fucking godsdamned medical bag!" and "Goodness me, what's happened to the poor boy?" and perhaps the most bizarre of them all, "Why the bloody hell are you feeding a fainting boy lemon bars?!" 

**Hello, all! I was writing a drabble for a HP/PJO crossover cause I got bored. Anyway, I got effing sick of people saying crap about them going to Hogwarts to aid with the war. Nah, they'd be going to Hogwarts because Professor Minerva McBadass McGonagall defied Death in order to defend her school. That's just how I see it.**

 **Anyway, for now, this will remain a one shot since I already have Little Soldier, Dolce Bambina, and Avenge Her to work on. When I'm done with those, I'll continue this if requested enough. If I have some spare time, I might post a chapter now and then, but I can't make any promises. Hope you all like this :) Happy reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

Harry's POV

What the actual bloody hell just happened? Did I kill him?

"It's okay." A curly haired blond boy with blue eyes peered up at me, stuffing small bites of… were those lemon bars? into the boy's mouth. "I told Nico, that idiot, not to shadow-travel after the Athena Parthenos incident, but _nooooo_ , he had to transport all twenty of us across the Atlantic in one go!" He sighed and picked up 'Nico' in a fireman's lift.

"I have to get the Prince of Darkness here some Gatorade. Pleasure to meet you, Harry." He nodded before going to confer with an African-American girl about the health of Nico.

I watched Mrs Weasley make her way over to Nico, who was beginning to stir, and fuss over him. Dumbledore had told us about these visitors, who were half god and half human. Demigods, he called them. I attempted to amuse myself with trying to guess who all of their godly parents were.

A boy with black hair and sea-green eyes was excitedly pointing at Quality Quidditch Supplies while a blonde girl with gray eyes was shaking her head.

"Look, Annabeth, they fly! How do they do that?" he was saying excitedly to her.

She smacked him lightly on the arm and laughed. "Did you even read about this place before we got here, Seaweed Brain? Early wizards charmed the brooms so that they could have an easy, fast, and cheap way of transportation."

Hermione shrieked with delight. "Finally, Ronald, someone who actually has a brain!" 

"Hey, I have a brain!" Ron protested.

But Hermione didn't hear. She walked over to Annabeth and started up a conversation. Within minutes they were obsessing about smart stuff. I shook my head. Girls were a complex subject I would never understand.

"Harry, dear, come here, would you?" Mrs Weasley called from over by the blonde boy and Nico.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait… _wait._ What do you _mean_ you 'forgot the Gatorade,' Jackson?!" The blonde boy was up in Jackson's face. "I give you _one_ job while you're in the infirmary, and that was to _PACK THE FRACKING GATORADE._ " He brandished a scalpel. "I should slice you!"

Jackson visibly gulped.

Nico tried to intervene. "Will, it's fine. Don't kill Percy or else Annabeth will kill you. And I really don't think you want to die."

"Silence, you disobedient death child!"

"I am _not_ a death child!"

Okay… son of Hades right there.

Mrs Weasley sighed. "Harry, could you please figure out what's going on? We really do have to get going, and I don't mean to be pushy, but still, we are running rather late."

I nodded. "Sure, Mrs Weasley. Erm, could Ron maybe help too? It seems to be getting rather… extreme." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jackson pull out a Muggle plastic ballpoint pen and point it at Will and Nico threateningly.

"Okay, guys, cool it!" he was saying, but neither of them were listening. Nico was gripping the hilt of this weird looking black sword and waving it and his free hand as he raved in another language. Yep, I would definitely need Ron. I marched over to him, grabbed his arm, and dragged him over.

"We're late." I whispered. "Help me calm them down."

"Right." Ron nodded. "I take Sunshine over there and you take the other one."

" _Fottutamente imbecille! Sto fottutamente bene! Forse se ti togliessi la testa dal culo per una volta potresti vedere che non sono più un fottuto bambino, Bian_ -" He suddenly stopped screaming at Will and became dead silent as I gently took his arm and veered him away. Ron did the same to Will, who looked stricken.

"Listen, um, I don't know much about you or him or any of your company. But we are running late, and if we want to get everything done on time, we really do need you to cooperate. I'm sorry if I sound pushy or rude or touchy, but… well…" I trailed off as the boy kept looking up.

"You okay?" I tentatively asked. God, I'm not good at emotional stuff! 

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I single handedly survived Tartarus. I can handle Will when he's being a fucking dumbass." Nico stuffed his sword back into his sheath and tried for a weak smile.

"Um, lovely sword you've got there." I looked at it warily.

"Well, it's not Celestial Bronze so I'm not sure how lovely it would be if it incinerated you and absorbed your essence, like it did to every other monster I've ever killed." His eyes searched mine and I found a hint of amusement in his.

"Good to know. If I ever need a hit man, I'll call you." I grinned.

"You." Nico pointed at me, a real smile flashing on his face. "I like you."

The black haired boy with the sea green eyes shouted from several feet away," So _he's_ your type?!"

"Oh my _gods,_ Percy, let it go already!" Nico looked at him in horror and exasperation.

"Never!" was the faint reply.

Over with Ron, things were also going smoothly. I watched Ron mumble something to Will, who nodded. He suddenly put his fingers to his lips and unleashed the most awful but oddly effective supersonic whistle I've ever heard.

"Alright, demigods, two straight lines please!" he yelled. "We're running late, and we need a strategy." 

One person chuckled. "This isn't war, Will. We don't need a _strategy_."

Will looked straight at them. "We need a strategy if there are-" he did a quick head count. "Twenty demigods plus four wizards need to get their separate supplies, Calypso. I'd listen if I were you. Now, we're going to split up into pairs of two, alright? Everyone find a partner. That includes you wizards." He looked at us.

For a moment I wondered if anyone was going to listen, but all the demigods started scrambling around to find partners. Hermione paired with Ginny, and Ron paired with me.

"Now, I presume all of you have your lists from Chiron?" Will raised an eyebrow and several people nodded. "Good. Now, I want you and your partner to tackle each store as you go. If you need help, and if the wizards don't mind, of course, you can go to them for some help." Mrs Weasley gave us all a look as if to say: You better. "But I think it'll be pretty basic, since Chiron ordered all our stuff beforehand. Okay?" Everyone nodded this time. "Everyone's first stop will be the bank, Gringotts. Di Angelo, you have some authority over the goblins because of your father. You need to go there first with everyone, alright?" Nico nodded.

People took off scrambling. I caught sight of Nico chatting with the African American girl. He waved at her and kissed her cheek before he strolled off to Gringotts. Maybe that was his girlfriend?

"Alright, mate, so where are we going first?" Ron asked me.

"Uhm… how about Flourish and Blotts?" I replied, checking my list quickly.

"Alright." Ron shrugged.

 _***TIMESKIP***_

After everyone got their stuff, we all met up in front of Florean Fortescue's ice cream place.

"Alright, so, where'll we be staying until tomorrow, when term starts?" A Chinese guy asked.

"Why, with us of course!" Mrs Weasley smiled. "We'll make space. It may be a little crowded, but we'll make do."

"Oh, no, we couldn't possibly-" A girl with dark hair started, flustered.

"We insist. Now, I don't think we got all your names. Would you mind…?" Mrs Weasley gestured vaguely.

One by one everyone introduced themselves. The flustered dark haired girl turned out to be called Lou Ellen Blackstone. Mrs Weasley has a knack for names, so she probably had them all down.

After we got our stuff together, Mrs Weasley Apparated us back to the Burrow. Everyone sat in the garden as she explained the sleeping arrangements.

"So, that's about it. Dinner will be ready in about an hour or two so you can do what you please."

 _***TIMESKIP AGAIN***_

All of us ate dinner quickly. Ron and I became fast friends with Percy, Jason, Leo, and Frank. They were pretty cool, for Americans. I learned that Jason, Leo, and Frank all also had Muggle parents who were dead. They said it was like that a lot for demigods.

The girls had become fast friends with each other, of course. They were like that, travelling in packs and defending their own kind.

After dinner we all went to our respective rooms.

"Try to get a good night's sleep, children!" Mrs Weasley called after us. "We're waking up early to meet the Hogwarts Express!"

 _***TIMESKIP***_

All of us were woken in the middle of the night by the most horrible scream I've ever heard. It spoke of anguish, misery, and suffering in its worst form.

All the demigods raced to the room Nico was staying in. Everyone was standing within four feet of him. "Why aren't you going closer?" Ron asked.

"We tried." Hazel sounded near tears. "Watch." She took a few steps close to him and a wave of darkness and terror suddenly rolled off of Nico with such force that the impact knocked everyone in the room onto their backs.

He was shaking and screaming, begging and pleading with someone who wasn't there. He kept calling out names. _Bianca, Percy, Reyna, Hazel, Will, Mama, Father._

The more miserable he seemed to get the more the shadows of the room were wrapping around him, choking and suffocating him, snaking around his legs and binding his wrists. Will came running in, practically glowing.

He forced his way past the shadows, dissipating them with the full force of the glow encasing him. "Nico, Nico, hey Neeks, it's okay, you're okay everything's fine." he whispered as he wrapped him up in his arms.

"It wasn't my fault- I'm so sorry, Bianca, please… I didn't mean to kill you- you're lying, Hazel, you're lying- I'm your brother… please don't say that, please!" Hazel made a sound next to me like she was about to start sobbing. Frank put an arm around her shoulders. "Reyna, Reyna- you can't mean that, you said- you _said_ you trusted me, please, don't leave me here, I'm begging you, someone, anyone, help me, please!" Reyna looked like someone had struck her hard.

"Neeks, you're safe, it's just a dream, c'mon, wake up…" Will was still whispering. Nico's eyes slowly opened as he drew shaky breaths.

"Nico!" Hazel flew at him and bear-hugged him. "It's not true, none of it's true, alright? Don't you ever think that anything that _thing_ said is true!" 

"She.. you… it was so real…" He moistened his cracked lips. "You were saying that you were just using me so you could live again, that you didn't care if I live or died, that-"

"None of it's true, you hear me? You're my brother and I love you." Nico gripped her tighter.

"What happened?" I said loudly.

Everyone's eyes went to Nico, who was now standing up. He shifted his weight uncomfortably and I swear I saw something break in his eyes.

"We just came out of a war a couple months ago." he began quietly. "I did some things- I was stupid!" He sounded angry and started wringing his hands. "I was a fool. I thought I could go anywhere in the Underworld. I plunged into Tartarus, the enemy base. Every monster I ever killed, every regret I ever had suddenly came to life. Annabeth and Percy fell into Tartarus too. It's like nothing you've ever seen before. All your fears, come alive to taunt you, all in one place- a person could go insane there. It's a miracle any of us made it out alive." He gulped.

"But- but nobody has ever gone into Tartarus and come out alive!" Hermione cried.

"We did. And now Percy, Nico, and I all have PTSD because of it." Annabeth said quietly.

"For Annabeth and I, it isn't so bad. The Fates were cruel. We fell together, Nico fell alone. For that reason our PTSD isn't so bad, because we have each other to help cope with it. For Nico, well, as you can see, it's a lot worse." Percy mumbled.

I said nothing. I revised my impression of these demigods. They obviously were tough. They deserved respect.

"Alright. I know it's difficult to relate to that, but for what it's worth, I hope the pain eases soon for you guys." Ron bit his lip.

"Okay, everyone back to bed now." Will suddenly said. "We still have to catch the train tomorrow. Lou Ellen, you're in this room, right? Can you switch with me? Great, thanks. G'night, everyone."

"Sorry to wake you all." Nico mumbled. Will put a hand on his shoulder and started crooning in another language. Even from here, I could feel the waves of happiness and comfort washing over me, lulling me to sleep.

 _***TIMESKIP***_

Will's POV

"Goodbye, dears! Have a lovely term!" Mrs Weasley waved to us as the Hogwarts Express started to pull away.

"Goodbye, Mrs Weasley! Thank you!" Annabeth called out of the window of our compartment. She had magically enlarged it so that all twenty four of us could fit inside the compartment.

For a while we were talking about random subjects. We pooled our money to buy some candy from the Trolley Witch. The wizards were showing us all the best candies.

"The Licorice Wands are good for a nibble, but the Chocolate Frogs taste better." Grover commented.

"No way, dude! Pumpkin Pasties forever!" Percy poked him, stuffing his face with the pasties.

"Who cares about the candy?" Nico scoffed, engaged in a trading match with Frank. "I want the cards." He was bartering with Frank for a Dumbledore card at the moment.

"Nico, didn't you say you had something you wanted to show me when we were in Diagon Alley?" Hazel suddenly asked, looking up from her novel.

Nico's face immediately darkened. "I do have something to show you. It's, erm, from Dad. Calypso, can I borrow her for a moment?" He seemed brash and hurried.

"Hold on a minute, Death Breath." I interrupted. "What's this about Hades?"

"None of your business, lightbulb!" he snapped.

"I think it is our business, Nico." I raised an eyebrow. A chorus of "Yeah, he's right!" and "Show us, Nico!" and "It could be important, you know..." went up from all the demigods.

Nico raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, you dirty traitors! After we went back to our cabins yesterday, I found a suitcase on my bed with a note pinned to it. I have it here." He dug around in his deep pocket and pulled out a crumpled paper.

"It says: _Nico, I know of the quest you are being sent on. I sincerely did not want to see you nor your sister go, but the other gods overpowered my opinion for my children to have peace after the War (as usual). I do not know what will happen in your future but can only warn you that some people may try to sway your loyalties. They will make incredible offers that many have fallen for. Do not let your loyalties be swayed. Befriend the unfriendly, my son. Doing so may change the fate of the world. Remember what I have told you not too long ago: Some deaths cannot, or should not, be prevented. Be safe. Look out for Hazel. I look forward to seeing you both when you return. So does Persephone, though she will not admit it. Your father, Hades._ "

He paused to let it soak in. "Are you happy now? That's just fantastic. People are going to try to take advantage of me and force me over to the other side. On top of that, someone's probably going to die and I can't do anything to stop it! I also have to make friends with insufferable, brash idiots just to save the world. I'm fucking _done_ saving the godsdamned fucking world!" He threw the paper down on the floor.

"Well, Nicky Di, at least you're going to be befriending people like yourself…" Leo cracked a grin.

"Did… did you just call me… _Nicky Di_?" Nico said incredulously.

"Yeah, as in Mickey D, Nicky Di? You get it?"

"I'm really going to kill you this time, Valdez."

He reached for his sword at the same time the compartment door flew open. Behind it stood a blonde boy.

"So it's true, the rumour on the compartment. There are American transfers on the Hogwart Express today!" he jeered.

"Eff off, Malfoy!" Ginny growled.

"Aw, Weaslette is trying to intimidate me! How… _cute._ "

Thalia looked at Annabeth pleadingly. "Can I strike him down? It's been way too long since I've done any proper hunting." She fingered her silver bow and arrows.

"Like a _girl_ could do much damage? What're you gonna do, drown me in makeup remover?" Malfoy taunted.

Thalia let loose a shower of glowing silver arrows that pinned Malfoy to the wall. His goons were hurriedly plucking the arrows out.

"Begone, vile male scum." Thalia wrinkled her nose.

He scampered out. It was silent before Ron yelled," Bloody hell, that was epic!"

Thalia smiled thinly. "Glad you enjoyed the show, ginger."

"We should change into our robes now." Hermione commented.

Us demigods exchanged uneasy looks and blanched. "Chiron, um, informed us that we have to wear armor. He magically had them added to our suitcases before we left." I said quickly.

"I'm one step ahead of you all!" Clarisse boasted. "Already in battle armor!"

"Please, Clarisse." Rachel snorted. "You practically sleep in your battle armor."

"Okayyy, well, anyway…" I opened my suitcase to find battle armor with a buttery yellow coloured cape attached to the shoulders. There was also a helmet with the same coloured crest.

Everyone pulled similar armor out of their suitcases. Nico had a skeletal helmet like the one he wore in the Battle of Manhattan and skeletal armor. Hazel had armor with gemstones embedded into the metal with a shining gold cape. Percy's was blue, Jason's was a dark purple, Reyna's was the cloak blessed by Athena , Frank's red, etc. etc.,

We took turns changing into our clunky battle armor and by the time we were done we were hot, sweaty, and at Hogwarts.

"FIRS' YEARS, FIRS' YEARS, FIRS' YEARS THIS WAY!" A voice bellowed. Nico reached for his sword and I put a hand on his wrist.

"That's Hagrid, a friendly half giant. He's good." Harry supplied quickly.

I felt Nico relax and let go of his wrist. He looked good in his black skeletal armor. It was a sight that never ceased to make my knees weak and my stomach twist. The first time I'd seen him in it, he had come charging down 5th Avenue like a skeletal death king and Kronos' forces just fell back. Like, they parted like the Dead Sea for him. He was challenging the Titan King himself, sassing him like nobody's business, and Kronos called him out to battle him. After that, Nico had run around like a maniac disintegrating enemies. When everyone was at their weakest, he was the most powerful. He shone brighter than the sun. We were just twelve then. Ever since then, I had been head over heels for him.

I shook my head and made my way off the train with the others. The Golden Trio led us into Hogwarts, where a tall, stern woman greeted us.

"That's Professor McGonagall!" Hermione whispered excitedly. Nico and Hazel winced, and I knew they were hating their part of the quest. Before I lost my nerve, I reached down and grabbed his hand. I squeezed it experimentally, and he squeezed it back, as if to say thank you.

We were told by a brooding man with greasy hair to wait outside the Great Hall until we were called. While we were waiting, we worked out an order for us to come in, demonstrating our powers at the same time.

They performed the traditional Sorting Ceremony, Hermione later told us. She had informed us all that Gryffindor was the house of the brave, Slytherin of the cunning and ambitious, Hufflepuff of the hardworking and fair, and Ravenclaw for the witty.

"This year we have with us twenty demigods from a place called Camp Half-Blood. They will be our allies in a brewing war, seeing as all of them are veterans of two past wars of their own." I heard McGonagall say faintly. "They will be Sorted just like any of you and be treated just the same as any of you. Now, if they would like to enter…"

We gave each other evil looks.

 ***** NOTE: FOR THEIR INTROS I'M ONLY DOING SOME OF THEM BECAUSE IT IS HARD TO FIND EVERY SINGLE ACCOMPLISHMENT AND LIST IT IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER OKAY?!*****

Nico ran for the door, spreading his hands. The shadows around him snaked into a cloud of darkness, then into a mountain of obsidian several feet tall. As the obsidian snaked forward at several miles per hour, black cape whipping behind him, he upturned his palm and several skeletons sprang out of the earth and the torches suddenly emitted Greek fire. He maneuvered his hands like he was controlling a marionette, and the skeletons did his bidding, also levitating on a cloud of darkness. With a snap of his fingers, the skeletons shattered and the shadow puff and obsidian mountain dissolved into nothingness.

"Nico di Angelo, son of Hades, the Ghost King, Ambassador for Pluto, Prince of the Underworld, Master of the Shadows, Bringer of Death, Destroyer of Light, Deliverer of the Athena Parthenos, Manipulator of Darkness, singlehanded survivor of Tartarus. Pleased to meet you all." He smirked a little as he removed his helmet, jet black locks flowing behind him like in a scene from a movie.

Next, Jason manipulated the winds to let him whoosh into the Great Hall. He did a series of acrobatics in midair, which included dive-bombing towards the ground and pulling up at the last second. He landed on his feet nimbly and pulled his Roman gladius out of the sheath, throwing it up in the air and catching it.

"Jason Grace, son of Jupiter, child of Rome, consul to demigods, Pontifex Maximus, slayer of the Trojan Sea Monster, destroyer of the Black Throne of Kronos, and killer of the Titan Krios. Pleasure to meet you all." He put on his most winning smile as he, too, took off his helmet.

Next, Percy came in. He lifted all the water from a nearby lake, shaping it and basically messing around with it before throwing it down on everyone in the Great Hall.

"PERCY!" Jason and Nico yelled in unison.

"Sorry, dudes." Percy chuckled sheepishly as he lifted all the water and returned it to the lake. Jason quickly dried everyone off as the next demigod entered.

"Perseus "Seaweed Brain" Jackson, son of Poseidon, survivor of Tartarus, Wielder of Anaklusmos, Bearer of the Sky, former bearer of the Curse of Achilles, etc., etc., I could go on and on but then we'd be here all day, I guess." Percy smiled roguishly and then attempted to bow, but wound up falling on his face.

"The son of Poseidon, everyone." Nico waved his hand in Percy's direction.

Leo came sprinting into the Hall at top speed, throwing himself down on his knees so that he lurched forward several feet like a rockstar on their final guitar riff, and setting his whole self on fire. People shrieked and teachers took out their wands, and Leo extinguished himself just as jets of water hit him.

"Rude." he scoffed, brushing himself off as Percy lifted the water away, shaking his helmet off. "Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus, otherwise known as the Supreme Commander of the Argo II, Flamin' Valdez, Commander Tool Belt, the Tofu Taco Expert, Admiral Leo, the Super-sized McSchizzle Bad Boy Supreme, cause all the ladies love a bad boy!"

Calypso coughed meaningfully, and he turned red. "But sorry, ladies, I'm already taken!"

Next, Annabeth, with her Yankees cap on, rushed in invisible. Nobody could see her, so naturally it was surprising when Percy was suddenly judo thrown onto the ground with a _THUNK._ She took off her helmet and her cap with it so that she was visible and helped Percy up, quickly kissing him in the process. Nico gagged and the girls and guys alike in the Great Hall all murmured with disappointment.

"Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, Architect of Olympus, Recoverer of the Athena Parthenos, Survivor of Tartarus, Bearer of the Sky, one of Athena's Chosen Ones, and a bunch of stuff I can't remember. I didn't rehearse this." She shrugged and Percy elbowed Jason, muttering," And she's supposed to be the smart one."

"What was that, Seaweed Brain?"

"Nothing, Wise Girl!"

Next Piper strolled in, acting as eye candy for all the pervy guys in there. Then, she strutted up to Jason and said in charmspeak, "Smack yourself, darling."

Jason nodded with glazed eyes and whacked himself across the face, as did many others.

"OW!" he whined.

"Piper McLean, daughter of Aphrodite, Charmspeaker, one of the defeaters of Gaea, Savior of Hera, Stabber of Khione-" Here she stopped to grin. "Wielder of Katropis, Owner of the Cornucopia, partial Slayer of Periboia. Glad to be here."

Frank busted through the doors, first rapidly morphing into a large serpent, catapulting himself into the air, where he turned into an eagle and did a few fancy tricks, then he landed and became a badger, and finally, he pounced and mid-pounce turned into a lion. Then he changed back into himself and smiled nervously.

"Frank Zhang, son of Mars, the Changeling Lord, Recoverer of the Twelfth Legion's Eagle, Legacy of Poseidon, Praetor to the Twelfth Legion, descendant of Periclymenus, defeater of Alcyoneus, and a couple other things." He scratched the back of his head. "Pleasure to meet you all."

Next, Hazel burst in, raising metal out of the Earth and letting it hit the light just right so spots of white light danced on the walls. Purple smoke started swirling as Hazel manipulated the Mist to make crazy things appear.

She found a spot next to Frank and waved cheerfully. "Hazel Levesque, daughter of Pluto, Manipulator of the Mist, Controller of the Earth, Favorite of Hecate, Centurion of the Fifth Cohort, Mistress of the horse Arion, Defeater of Pasiphaë, and Back from the Dead." She looked pointedly at Nico, who shrugged and stepped forward.

"If any of you touch my sister, I will kill you." For effect, he raised two skeletons out of the earth and snapped his fingers, dissipating them into dust.

I strolled into the Great Hall, faintly aware of my cape fluttering behind me. I raised my hands and played with the light a little, making it hit Hazel's gemstones so that coloured light bounced off the walls and tables. I heard _oohs_ and _aahs_ and scoffed to myself.

"Will Solace, son of Apollo, Bender of Light, Healer, Head of the Camp Half-Blood Infirmary, Combat Medic." I grinned. "Hi."

Reyna quite literally kicked the doors open, her metal dogs barking at her sides, spinning her spear and using it as a pole vault to launch over to where we all were. When she landed, it morphed into a sword

"Reyna Ramirez-Arellano, daughter of Bellona, Praetor of the Twelfth Legion, Horse Friend, Deliverer of the Athena Parthenos, Commander of Aurum and Argentum-" the dogs barked when they heard their names. "-Sister of the Leader of the Amazons, Traveller of the Mare Nostrum, Athena's Blessed One, and Slayer of Orion." She glared at the crowd and stepped a little closer to Nico.

Calypso walked in, waving her hands as she went so that her invisible servants did her will. "Calyspo, just Calypso. Daughter of Atlas, Queen of Ogygia, ex-goddess."

Thalia shot several silver arrows from the entrance of the Great Hall. "Thalia, I don't use my mother's last name, daughter of Zeus. Lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis, Eternal Maiden, more or less immortal until I fall in battle, temporary Wielder of Aegis, pledged to the goddess Artemis." She smirked wickedly. "And I have special permission to slap any boy that tries to make a move on me silly, courtesy of Lady Artemis. I have unlimited bows and arrows, so don't cross me."

Rachel came in then. "Rachel Elizabeth dare, mortal, Host of the Oracle's spirit, Apollo's current Oracle, Giver of Prophecies, Oracle of Delphi, and also I once hit Kronos in the eye with a blue plastic hairbrush." She smiled angelically as several people winced.

One by one the remaining few demigods came in and McGonagall nodded firmly. 

"It is now time for the Sorting Ceremony of the demigods of Camp Half-Blood."

 **AHHH HELP IT'S TWELVE THIRTY ON A SCHOOL NIGHT AHHHHHH!**

 **Ugh. I'm sleep deprived but wanted to get this up for you all. It's about sixteen pages long and I hope it'll satisfy you all for a while. In case I got any accomplishments/weapons wrong, I'm sorry, it's late and I'm tired. Message me and I'll change it when I can. Happy reading, all!**


	3. Chapter 3

**OKAY, SO THE BEGINNING TWO PARAGRAPHS WILL BE IN THIRD PERSON, CAPISCE? AND WHOEVER'S NAME IS CALLED, THAT IS THE POINT OF VIEW. IF NICO IS CALLED TO BE SORTED, THAT'S HIS POV, GOT IT? OH, AND THEIR ARMOR MAGICALLY CHANGES INTO ROBES OF THEIR HOUSE WHEN THEY GET SORTED. TOO LAZY TO ADD IT, BUT IT'S UP HERE!**

"This is the Sorting Hat." McGonagall gestured to a ratty old thing on a chair. All the demigods glanced at it quizzically.

"When I call your names, please come to the chair, sit, and put the Hat on. When you are Sorted, sit at your assigned table." McGonagall conjured up a scroll and glanced at it briefly. "Di Angelo, Nico!"

I stepped out of the line and walked over to the stool, my head high and my back straight. I caught Will's eye and he gave me a thumbs up. Cape swishing, I sat on the stool and put the Hat on my head, if it could even be called a hat.

Almost immediately, I heard a voice in my mind.

 _Strange, very strange… a nearly equal match for all four houses, haven't seen one of these in a few millennia! You are wise beyond your years, oh, yes, you would do nicely in Ravenclaw. But you are amongst the bravest whose minds I have delved into as well. A single-handed survivor of Tartarus, a boy who was told my the goddess of misery that he was perfect! A potential Gryffindor through and through. Oh, and ambitious, yes, yearning to prove yourself to the world, thirsting to belong. Slytherin would be a wonderful choice._

Get on with it, then. I used all my strength to extend the message. Sort me in Slytherin, already. Hermione told me it was the house from which most evil people came from. I belong there.

 _Evil? Tell me, son of Hades. From the bottom of your heart, can you swear it on the River Styx that you are truly evil?_

I hesitated. So maybe I'm not evil, hat, but I'm a loner. I don't have any friends.

 _You have no friends?_ The hat scoffed. _Who are those in the crowd, those who joke with you and laugh with you and support you to no end? Jason Grace, the son of Jupiter, who you would trust with your life. Reyna Ramirez-Arellano, the daughter of Bellona, from whose shoulders you've lifted an unimaginable burden. Hazel Levesque, the daughter of Pluto, to whom you gave a second chance. Will Solace, son of Apollo, who wishes that you could be happy, like a normal person. Who are they to you?_

They're- they're my… my…

 _Your friends. Your family. And correct me if I'm wrong but you would do anything to keep them safe, even if the cost was your own life?_

I would. I really would. They mean the world to me, even if they don't know it and- wait! Why am I telling you this?

 _Hm, the hat mused. A perfect match for Hufflepuff, I think. Yes, Hufflepuff it is._

Hufflepuff? I sputtered. No! Why? I'm not a Hufflepuff? I am darkness, I am death, I am-

 _Tell me, son of Hades, why did you plunge into Tartarus?_

Wha- you know about that?

 _I know everything about you._

I wanted to find the Doors of Death for Percy and the rest of the Seven. What's it to you?

 _And why did you keep the two camps a secret?_

To avoid a war and mass bloodshed, duh.

 _Why did you free Hazel Levesque from the Underworld?_

Because she was also my sister. She deserved a second chance too.

 _Why did you not inform Percy Jackson of his identity upon his arrival at Camp Jupiter?_

Because the prophecy needed to unfold on its own, and I had to allow that to happen.

 _Why did you convince your father, Persephone, and Demeter to rise to the aid of Olympus during the Second Titan War?_

Quit it with the mind games, hat! I did it so Olympus wouldn't fall, to save the lives of our forces!

 _Do you know what the traits of a Hufflepuff are?_ I hesitated. I didn't really know. _Loyalty. Patience. Fair play. All traits you possess, traits that outshine your wisdom, your sheer bravery, your ambition. I think it is fair to say, Nico di Angelo, that you are to be Sorted into HUFFLEPUFF!_

The last word was shouted for the whole Hall to hear. Nobody said anything, momentarily stunned and I cringed away from the silence. Until one Hufflepuff stood up on the table, glaring at the entire Hall, and started cheering. As if snapped out of a gaze, everyone else started cheering, including the demigods.

I tried to steady my breathing as I removed the Hat from my head. _Oh, and one more thing,_ the voice rang in my head. I waited. _How are you still sane?_ Grinning, I passed the Hat to McGonagall and said aloud, "Well you see… I'm _not._ "

The hat smirked. "Fair enough."

Ignoring everyone's startled glances, I strode over to the table with the kids in black and yellow. The boy who had started the cheering scooted over and patted the spot next to him. I gratefully sat.

"I'm Ernie Macmillan." He stuck out his hand and I took it.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, Nico."

McGonagall glanced at the scroll. "Atlas, Calypso!"

I tried to calm my nerves as I placed the Hat on my head.

 _An ex-goddess, the daughter of a Titan! How interesting._ A voice spoke in my head.

 _I do think I know where to place you. Stuck on an island for several thousand millenia, falling in love with those who always left you._

Way to rub it in, I shot back snarkily. I have Leo now, anyway, so why don't you fuck off?

 _Manners, my dear girl. Speaking of 'Leo,' you made quite the ruckus when he arrived on your island._

Well, yeah. I mean, he destroyed my dining table!

 _And yet you still found the courage to let him go, which is a Gryffindor trait, but I believe the trait that overpowers that is the faith and patience you put in him, knowing if he swore he'd come back, he would. And he did, did he not?_

Of course he did. I would have waited a thousand years for him to return.

 _Ah, yes. I am correct yet again, it seems. HUFFLEPUFF!_

That last word wasn't telepathic, so I placed the hat back on the stool and found a spot next to Nico, who was sitting next to a boy with blond hair. I recognized him as the one who had started cheering when Nico was Sorted.

Nico smiled reassuringly and I knew he was happy here. The people seemed very nice. I knew Nico from my time on Ogygia. He would visit me often, bringing me news of the outside world and other things to pass my time. He was a good friend when I had had no other. And unlike the others (besides Leo) he always came back.

Professor McGonagall called the name, "Blackstone, Lou Ellen!" And a dark-haired girl rushed forward eagerly to be Sorted.

I tried not to show my eagerness to be Sorted, but this was a magic school after all! I placed the hat on my head and waited a second.

 _Daughter of Hecate. If I am not mistaken, Hecate had blessed chosen mortals and those chosen ones became wizards?_

That's right!

 _You have a mischievous mind. Those with the power to manipulate the Mist often use that to their advantage, something I can respect._

You're thinking Slytherin, I'm supposing. House of the cunning, ambitious- I can live with that.

 _Oh, and Miss Blackstone?_

Yes?

 _Before I Sort you, I'd like you to know that the pig balls you placed in the Stolls' bags will go off around eight PM tonight, alright? So act natural._

How did you know-

But before I could finish, the Hat shouted _SLYTHERIN!_ and I took off the hat to join the table of the kids in green. Punks. Like me. I can live with this.

McGonagall was now calling for Annabeth. I watched with interest as Percy paced anxiously and Annabeth's cool demeanor becoming more and more transparent with each passing second.

I was hyperventilating as I awaited the Hat's words after placing it on my head. I would probably go in Ravenclaw, so this would be quick- I mean, I am a daughter of Athena.

 _Ravenclaw, eh?_ A voice boomed.

Holy fucking shit, what the actual fuck, how the fuck did you fucking do that? I thought.

 _I have my ways. Now, you say you are a Ravenclaw. Constantly craving knowledge and understanding of the world, yes, that would be a magnificent choice- however…_

Cold stones settled in my stomach. Was I not smart enough for Ravenclaw?

 _I feel there is more to you than your intelligence, Annabeth Chase. There is your cunning and conflicting sense of wrong and right. It is wrong if it is for your wrong reasons, but right if it's right in your book. Your mother, Athena, is goddess of wisdom and strategy in warfare, correct?_

Yes… she is. Why?

 _Slytherin the house of manipulation and cunning. A large part of warfare is the ability to trick your enemy into letting their guard down, outsmarting them into playing for your own victory._

What are you saying?

 _You are very much a Ravenclaw. You are a quick thinker and know how to improvise in seemingly hopeless circumstances. But that is what makes you a Slytherin. Ravenclaw and Slytherin play into each other perfectly, and for those reasons I sometimes think that Ravenclaw and Slytherin combined are the most dangerous. You have power, Annabeth Chase. Knowledge without ambition is like a bird without wings._

I was beginning to understand, and the disappointment was beginning to fade. So I'm a Slytherin because my intelligence is fuelled by ambition?

 _Exactly. SLYTHERIN!_

I leapt off the stool and found a spot next to Lou Ellen, who seemed very pleased with her Sorting.

"Dare, Rachel!"

I approached the seat and desperately prayed I wouldn't deliver a prophecy, dear gods, don't let it happen!

Once the hat was on my head, a voice pounded into my skull.

Dude, turn it down! I complained mentally.

 _All you needed do was ask. Now, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, mortal, host of the Oracle of Delphi's spirit? Curious, very curious. An artist for sure, interpretation of prophecies in form of art, I know just where to put you._

Pray tell! I rolled my eyes.

 _Rachel Elizabeth Dare, RAVENCLAW!_

Fine with me. My hair tickled my neck as it bounced with every step I took towards the table of blue. The house of the creative and intelligent, not a bad deal.

When I got seated, Katie was walking towards the stool, glancing everywhere and drinking all the sights in.

I plunked down on the stool, mostly curious instead of anticipating. I heard from Hermione there was a Herbology class where you could handle exotic plants, and I was actually pretty excited for it. I scanned the Great Hall quickly and caught Travis Stoll's eye. He looked momentarily surprised, then grinned cheekily and winked.

My face burned and I scowled at him, ignoring the flipping of my stomach.

 _I'm detecting plenty of Gryffindor spunk, but the bristle of a Slytherin… where to put you, Katie Gardner…_

I don't know how to answer that.

 _You don't have to. And please, stop eyeballing the Stoll boy, it is making it quite difficult to read you clearly._

I'm not eyeballing him!

 _That's what they all say, now let's see. Definitely very much able to hold your own, your work in the Battle of Manhattan was quite impressive and- oh, yes, a raging desire to protect what shall be protected._

So what'll it be? Surprise me, Hat.

 _Ah, yes, I think- not Gryffindor. Your courage is not the Gryffindor's front line courage… no, your courage is the Slytherin courage, the kind where you know when to hold your tongue and how to live another day because that's what's better._

Well? What do you think?

 _SLYTHERIN!_

I sprinted to the table with the kids in green and quickly found an empty seat. Then I turned to watch Jason get Sorted.

When I put the hat on, I heard nothing at first but felt strangely as if I was being CAT scanned.

 _Son of Jupiter, child of Rome… where to put you?_

Child of Greece _and_ Rome, I corrected. **(A/N This child is such a pure lil cinnamon roll omgs)**

 _Plenty of courage, an almost equal amount of loyalty. Brave stupidity and plenty of it._

Hey! I am not stupidly brave!

 _If I had eyes, I'd be rolling them right now. You got stabbed through the side with a deadly weapon and decided to go kill a giant a little less than a week later. However, yes, I do think… I have decided. Jason Grace, GRYFFINDOR!_

The house of the brave. Nice. I hope Piper would be in Gryffindor, too. Hermione smiled reassuringly at me and I returned the friendly grin. I watched with interest as Thalia walked up to be Sorted. This would be fun to watch.

"Ten bucks she starts cursing out loud at the hat." I mumbled under my breath to nobody in particular.

"Fifteen Galleons she starts cursing within the first thirty seconds." Harry mumbled, catching my eye.

 _Oh, it is on._

I stepped up to the hat, glancing at it suspiciously. I poked it with one of my arrows, and when it made no reaction, I put it on my head.

I felt ridiculous sitting there with this brown floppy thing on my head. I was the Lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis! This was demeaning.

After a little more than twenty seconds of silence, I snapped.

"Listen, you stupid fuck, let's get this fucking shit over with. Do you know how fucking _demeaning_ this is? I am Thalia, daughter of Zeus, lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis. I survived two wars and came back from the dead and I'm waiting on a floppy brown rag? BULLSHIT!" I said loudly.

Jason groaned and Harry whooped as Jason handed him a bundle of coins. A lot of the students looked shocked.

 _Alright, then._ A sly voice spoke in my mind. _Thalia Grace, GRYFFINDOR!_

I strutted over to the Gryffindor table, flipping my short hair at Jason. "And _that_ is how it is done, baby brother." I smirked.

"Hey, look, Percy's being called up to be Sorted!" Ron whispered loudly at us, and we all turned to watch. Kelp Face was walking up to the stool, looking like he'd been reaped as a tribute to the Hunger Games.

I probably looked terrible, I thought nervously. Scratch that, actually. I KNOW I look terrible, and that was saying something. Annabeth got into Slytherin, I had to get into the same House as her. I couldn't leave Wise Girl with a bunch of creepy strangers, even though she is a crazy badass warrior lady and could more than fend for herself. And kill anyone who touches her. Yikes.

I jammed the hat on my head, fidgeting with my fingers because ADHD.

 _Son of Poseidon… let's see. A survivor or Tartarus, like Annabeth Chase and Nico di Angelo. All three of you possess remarkable bravery, but your bravery is different- no, not Gryffindor, it isn't right._

Put me with Annabeth! I demanded.

 _A fatal flaw of loyalty, Hufflepuff would be my first choice. But you, no, your loyalty is only to those who you feel earn it, and it cannot be improvised. A will of iron, one so strong that only few Hufflepuffs possess._

Dude, I'm talking to you! I need to stay with Annabeth!

 _A ruthless warrior, almost choked the goddess Akhlys with her own poison! Yes, I know where to put you. SLYTHERIN!_

Hm, so I am with Annabeth. Awesome! I practically sprinted over to her- no, _our_ table, and planted a kiss on her then and there.

"Seaweed Brain." she scoffed once we pulled away, but she was smiling. "Who's going to be Sorted ne-"

She was cut off by McGonagall shouting, "Levesque, Hazel!"

"There's your answer." I mumbled.

\- I was surprisingly calm as I walked up to the Sorting Hat. Nico managed to catch my eye and smiled reassuringly. I returned it and sat on the stool, gently placing the hat on my head and staring straight ahead.

 _Hazel Levesque, daughter of Pluto. I think I know where to put you. But first, are you not nervous?_

Listen up, hat, I've been through the attempted resurrection of a giant, the realm of my father, a war, Lupa's training, and the House of Hades. A Sorting doesn't scare me.

Maybe it was just my imagination, but I could have sworn the hat was smirking as it spoke. _Ah, yes. I know where to put you. GRYFFINDOR!_

Oh. That was fast. Oh well. I found a seat next to Jason and listened for the next demigod who was going to be Sorted.

"McLean, Piper!"

I didn't know if I should be scared or not, but it would be nice if I were placed with Jason and Hazel.

When I sat on the stool, I immediately noticed all the boys and some of the girls were practically drooling. A few of the boys were whistling and catcalling and Jason looked ready to leap out of his seat and murder someone. I sent a hopefully calming glance his way and put the Hat on my head.

 _Your reaction to those, as they say, hitting on you, is quite peculiar. Why do you not let young Mister Grace have at them?_

Uh, are we here to talk about my love life? But to satisfy your curiosity, Jason knows I can handle myself.

 _Strange. Well, how would you handle yourself?_

Charmspeak. Nothing like a little, "Slap yourself, darling" or, "Go hit on Percy in front of Annabeth" or vice versa to get revenge.

 _Hm… how would you feel about being Sorted into Slytherin?_

Er, why, exactly?

 _You're not above using charmspeak on mortals, are you?_

Not really, I admitted.

 _There you go. Willing to take advantage of others in order to get what you want. But at the same time, you would not threaten innocent lives. Piper McLean, SLYTHERIN!_

I saw a flash of disappointment cross Jason's face, but the next minute he was clapping and whooping along with the rest of the Great Hall. He was truly amazing.

I found a seat on Annabeth's left and across from Lou Ellen, who looked like she was about to jump out of her seat with excitement. I turned my attention to McGonagall as she straightened out the list with a crackling noise and shouted, "Ramirez-Arellano, Reyna!"

At the sound of my name I hopped up and briskly marched to the stool. The tall woman handed me the Hat with a small smile and I felt a pang of sympathy for what Nico and Hazel would have to do.

Pushing those thoughts away, I jammed the Hat on my head and sat on the stool. Almost immediately, a voice spoke in my head.

 _A child of Bellona, fully, truly Roman… like mother, like daughter. Oh, yes, quite fascinating._

What's fascinating?

 _There's immense bravery- a reservoir of strength to share, even when facing execution! Willing to sacrifice yourself to Orion to keep the winged horses safe and the mission continued, put down your pegasus simply because you did not wish for him to suffer-_

Dude, don't bring up Scipio. That's a below the belt blow. Besides, I did those things because if I didn't, friends and family would die. It was necessary.

 _-and many more achievements, as well as one of your strongest qualities you can lend being your own heroism! I think it is safe to say that you, Reyna Ramirez-Arellano, are a GRYFFINDOR!_

I shrugged off the hat and found a seat at the Gryffindor table next to Hermione as the Hall burst into applause. I watched with intrigue as Chris Rodriguez got called to his Sorting.

I half-sprinted to where McGonagall was standing. Clarisse wasn't the hugs and kisses type, but she had locked eyes with me and given me a look that conveyed everything that could have been said.

I really didn't deserve her.

I placed the brown hat on my head and waited. After a moment, a voice boomed in my head.

 _Chris Rodriguez, such a conflicting personality._

Gee, thanks.

 _However conflicting your personality may be, I feel that Hufflepuff would be the best fit for you._

Aren't they the loyal and just? 'Cause I'm- cause I'm anything but that.

 _Oh? And why would that be?_

I betrayed my camp- no, my _home._ I betrayed my _home_ and when I came back from the Labyrinth half insane they didn't drive me away or abandon me. I didn't deserve that, I admitted bitterly.

 _Hmm, and you do not think you are worthy of Clarisse la Rue either, interesting. Well, let me tell you- you are one of the most Hufflepuff characters I've ever seen. You could have left your friends once more after you were healed, you could have fought for the enemy once more in the final battle. And did you?_

No, I didn't, but only because I owed it to them if anything for everything they did for me. It would have been a lousy way to thank them for saving my life.

 _A sense of justice, like the Hufflepuffs all possess. I think I can Sort you a Hufflepuff, but before I can, you must try to forgive yourself for your past. You cannot be a true Hufflepuff unless you are able to forgive yourself and others for mistakes made in time long past._

I don't think I can promise that.

 _I never said to promise,_ the Hat scoffed. _I said to_ try _. Chris Rodriguez, HUFFLEPUFF!_

I slid off the stool and numbly found a spot next to Nico and a fair-haired boy, who were chatting it up. Off the glares Will Solace was sending in his general direction, I guessed he wasn't too happy about that. Gods, when were they going to make out already?

"La Rue, Clarisse!" McGonagall called, and I focused my attention on my girlfriend as she made her way to the Sorting Hat.

Ugh. I totally agreed with Thalia. This was so freaking undignified and I hated every moment of it. I, Clarisse la Rue, drakon slayer, wearing a brown mop on my head.

 _The drakon slayer?_

More like electrocutor, I responded silently. Thinking about the drakon reminded me of Silena… that idiot Aphrodite girl got herself killed for my own pride.

 _Silena Beauregard was a brave soul, daughter of Ares- much like yourself. Do you know where this is going?_

I do, actually. So what's it gonna be, punk? I conveyed the message with as much telepathic snarkiness as I could. 

_GRYFFINDOR!_

I left the hat on the tiny chair and took a seat next to Hermione, who was watching McGonagall intently.

"Solace, Will!" 

The way he walked up to the front of the Hall with his back straight and head held high made me think of Michael Yew, that arrogant little pipsqueak. If the Ares cabin had been fighting the war from the very start, somehow I have a feeling so many people, including Yew, would have survived.

When I approached Will after the fighting was over, I could tell from the first glance he was just barely holding himself together. There was sweat on his face and blood streaking his arms and hands as he ran around tending to people. He was and still is our camp's best healer and he knew that. So when I saw this thirteen year old _child_ , trying to save an entire camp of wounded soldiers, who had tried and failed to save his brother a few days prior and was probably blaming himself for Fletcher's death, I immediately decided to be his friend. It was the least I could do to make up for not leading my cabin to fight.

He wanted me to teach him combat so if another war happened he wouldn't be so useless, and I agreed. He tried so hard but I knew even then that he couldn't make it. He barely even smiled then and it wasn't the Will Solace that we had before the war. So when di Angelo came along and they start hanging out and after so long, I see his smile coming back just barely. So I think that di Angelo kid is good for him. But I'm still going to keep a very close eye on them both.

The second the Hat was on my head, a voice started whispering in my ear.

 _Ah, yes, the son of Apollo, the most powerful Healer to ever be born, where to place you?_

I didn't relay anything in response, so the hat continued talking.

 _You are so very brave… and yet…_

And yet?

 _There is so much kindness in you. What to choose, what to choose?_

I'll deal with whatever comes.

 _Ah… very well, then. I believe my initial decision has been further confirmed._

What was your initial decision?

 _Stubborn, enterprising, resourceful- albeit pushy. Refuses to rest until the job is done. Will Solace, SLYTHERIN!_

I definitely was not expecting that. I was the least Slytherin person you could find, and yet… I felt completely fine with it. It was kind of funny, actually; the sunshiney son of Apollo placed in the 'dark' house.

I slid in next to Piper on the far end of the table and let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. Personally, I thought I was going to be Sorted into Hufflepuff, but Ron told us that the Hat is never wrong.

"Stoll, Connor!"

I ran up to the stool and dropped the hat on top of my hair. It nestled between my ears and a voice roared in my ear.

 _Oh, too easy. I know where to put you, son of the god of thieves and trickery._

Slytherin, amirite, my dude?

 _What? Of course not._

Wait- what?

 _I'm thinking Ravenclaw._

Dude, I am the least intelligent guy you'd ever meet.

 _Yes, but if you were Slytherin you probably wouldn't be caught half of the time._

Listen, I put the landmines on the wrong hill _one time-_

 _You would have to be a Ravenclaw to commandeer live landmines for a war effort without dying._

But-

 _RAVENCLAW!_

Well fuck. Shit. This is going to be AWFUL for my reputation.

I wasn't even at my seat before the old lady who looked like she could kill you with her eyes called out, "Stoll, Travis!"

 _Do I even have to say it?_

Say what? I mean, I know I'm perfect evil Slytherin material but-

 _Density must run in the family. Well, duly noted, then._

Hey! Who do you think you are?

 _Oh, you may not think I'm pretty, but don't judge by what you see!_

 _I'll eat myself if you can find a smarter hat than me!_

What the fu-

 _You can keep your bowlers black-_

Please stop.

 _Your top hats sleek and tall!_

 _For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat and I can cap them all!_

Alright! Alright, enough! My ears can't take it! Stop this torture!

 _Had enough, eh? Your bark is worse than your bite, I can tell that much. Travis Stoll, RAVENCLAW!  
_

I discreetly flipped off the hat as I tossed it at McGonagall. I could hear it scoffing as I plunked down next to Connor with as much force as I could- which, wasn't a lot.

"Underwood, Grover!"

My hooves were probably flopping out of their sneakers, weren't they? Stupid hooves.

My first impression of the Sorting Hat was something not even I'd eat. Seriously. It looked nasty.

 _Have you ever heard of not judging a book by its cover?_

I harrumphed. Books are made of paper, paper of trees. Trees have to be cut down for books. Not the most efficient thing ever.

 _The Lord of the Wild, if I'm correct? I know exactly where to put you._

Hopefully not with the brutish looking kids…

 _HUFFLEPUFF!_

Wait- they're pacifists, for the most part… right?

But the Hat was already off my head and I was being pointed in the general direction of a bunch of kids in yellow. I gulped and tried to look more intimidating than I was. Like I could summon Panic at the flick of a wrist (yeah, right.)

I settled down next to Calypso because she looked the nicest out of everyone (though I knew from experience she could kick your rear end if she needed to.)

"Valdez, Leo!"

 _The son of Hephaestus, fire-bender-_

I know! It's like I'm from Avatar- and if you don't think I haven't done that before, you, sir, are extremely mistaken. It didn't turn out so well, I had to call in Festus and dump water on a burning Big House, but-

 _Where are you hoping to be Sorted?_

Well, uh, see- I didn't really- _hold on a minute,_ isn't that _your_ job?

 _Leo Valdez, I have asked that question annually for millenia, and nobody had answered with, isn't it your job to Sort me?_

Is that good or bad? I mean, I know the Supersized McSchizzle is something else but-

 _RAVENCLAW!  
_

The hat was yanked off my head so suddenly I accidentally set my hair on fire. Of course, those dumb wizards did their magicky water spell and I was soaking wet in a matter of seconds. Just to mess with them, I set myself on fire briefly to dry off. Then, very disgruntled, I took a seat next to Rachel, who was shaking with laughter.

"Zhang, Frank!"

I put the hat on my head carefully, hoping I wouldn't rip it accidentally (it seriously looked that ancient.)

Um, hi-

 _Oh, this is too easy. HUFFLEPUFF!_ The hat screamed so loudly I shrieked and turned into a bulldog. McGonagall recoiled a little and I quickly changed back, muttering a quick apology.

The only available seat was- oh gods. Next to Nico. And that little schist knew it, I saw it in his eyes. He rigged this so that I would be stuck next to him and then he could threaten to kill me if I hurt Hazel, I knew how this was going to go. He looked so self satisfied that I wanted to turn back into a bulldog and hide. Oh gods- did he just- he patted the bench next to him. And moved over. And he's SMILING at me.

My father really wants to see me die, doesn't he?

 _Nico's POV_ (because I like doing this smol child's POV and I think you all like reading it)

"The demigods will be treated like any other newcomers to Hogwarts. I expect that all of you will do your best to be courteous and kind to them- after all, they have come out of two wars in the past few months. Does anyone have any questions?" McGonagall's expression was stern, but her eyes were glinting kindly. Once again, I dreaded my task.

One Gryffindor girl raised her hand and asked loudly, "Are any of the demigods single?"

Several of the demigods, myself included, choked. I noticed the Gryffindor girl looking very intently at me and if I wasn't vermillion already, I was now.

"I do not believe that is an appropriate question, Miss Brown!" McGonagall said sharply, but

Percy, bless his Seaweed Brain soul, stood up and cleared his throat.

"I'm dating Annabeth, Jason's dating Piper, Hazel's dating Frank, Grover has a girlfriend back at Camp called Juniper, Leo's dating Calypso, Chris and Clarisse are a thing, Katie and Travis are basically dating at this point but act like they hate each other- _don't you two give me that look we all know Tratie is canon_ \- and everyone else is single as a pringle except Rachel and Thalia cause they're the Oracle and Hunter of Artemis respectively." At everyone's stunned faces he bowed deeply and sat back down.

I thought it was over. And then Jason stood up. "Nobody is allowed to make moves on Nico."

I groaned and hit my head on the table. Was it possible to melt into its shadow if I slunk down far enough?

Then _Reyna_ stood up. "Anyone touches my brother and they die. I have killed much worse people than any of you."

And then _Clarisse_ stood up. "Touch Will and I will put you in a place you won't get out of." Will made a noise like a dying vulture and hid his face in his hands.

Everyone was silent until a Slytherin boy raised his hand. "Professor, is there anything we should know about the demigods to help them adjust better?" He sounded genuinely concerned about us.

"Maybe we should let them answer that."

Thalia stood up, shifting her bow from shoulder to shoulder. "Some of us have night terrors, Percabeth and Nico have PTSD, and nearly all of us get nightmares. We sleep with our weapons, have quick reflexes, and tend to lash out with our powers when we get scared and/or nervous or feel threatened. Just a heads up."

The boy looked confused. "Who's Percabeth?"

"Percy and Annabeth, of course. One whole Percabeth." Rachel answered for Thalia.

Meanwhile, the Gryffindor girl was still looking at me. Frank glanced at me. "Uh, Nico, I think that girl's checking you ou-"

"It's fine, Zhang." I'm about as straight as a circle, anyhow… I thought. Then I noticed the way Frank was looking at me.

" _Di immortales…"_ I cursed. "I said that out loud, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did." Frank admitted quietly.

A few people were watching me with disgust. Then Will shot out of his chair. "I'm bi, and my best friend is gay. If any of you have an issue with that, gladly do everyone a favor and stay the hell away from us."

Piper waved her hand. "I'm pan, so… yeah. I like everyone."

"And, uh- if we're doing this right now, I want to say that I'm bisexual as well." Harry admitted, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

Harry Potter, the boy who lived, was bi? I couldn't get my head around the fact. Slowly, more and more people came out, as Jason had put it a few weeks earlier.

Percy leaned over and whispered something to Will, who's face lit up and nodded. He thrust his hands upward at the same time Percy flicked his wrists and suddenly water and light came together to cast a huge fucking rainbow over the entire Great Hall.

The professors were all watching with dumbfounded expressions. Finally, a bearded old man stood up, smiling.

"What a wonderful display of coming to terms with one's self! In celebration of such an occasion, let the Start of Term Feast begin!"

He waved his wand and a banquet appeared on all the four tables. Will shot me a look that said, _eat something!_

I rolled my eyes but piled some spaghetti on my plate anyway.

 _*timeskip and some angst because you know I had to*_

 _I was sitting on something cool and glassy, but the air was stuffy and I felt like something was crawling down my throat, choking my insides. I was dimly aware of people surrounding me. I didn't exactly know where I was but I knew I was in trouble. I reached out to them, only for my hand to come in contact with a translucent wall. I pressed my palm against it, then banged it with both fists._

 _I was trapped. My oxygen supply was being cut off and I was suffocating, why weren't those people helping me? I hit the wall harder and their eyes turned to me, brown, blue, gold, green, black._

 _A figure separated from the group and knelt down, smiling._

" _Bianca… help-" I choked out._

" _Mm, no, I don't think I will…" She traced her fingers along the wall and tapped it experimentally._

 _I cried out in alarm as she gazed out me, expression barely flickering._

" _You left me to rot, I think it's time to return the favor." Bianca's smile was as gentle as ever; she could have been tucking me in for bed at Westover Hall._

" _But- I didn't- Percy-"_

" _You put all your trust in someone you barely knew, you put my life in the hands of someone you had just met, you miserable freak!" Her smile turned into a sneer and I scrambled backwards only to crumple onto my side._

" _You know what they would do to people like you in Italy? Do you remember our next-door neighbors?"_

" _Stop- sorella, per favore-"_

" _Antonio Conti, do you remember what they did to him?" Her eyes were gleaming. "They dragged him out of his house-"_

" _Si fermi, per favore-"_

" _-And into the street, and they beat him to death, him and his filthy lover, unnatural faggots like you!"_

 _I was rapidly running out of air, and she was watching with a smile on her face. I was dying and she was savoring it._

" _Goodbye, Nico." she whispered, and my world tilted. I was falling, falling, falling into nothingness…_

 _If I was screaming, I didn't know. My body crashed into ground that seemed to be absorbing me, molding around my structure and encasing me until I was part of the ground itself. My eyes snapped open and I heaved blistering breaths as I tried to haul myself off the ground. My strength was gone, dissipating, why couldn't I move?_

" _Get up!" a voice roared. "You worthless child!" I raised my head and made out a silhouette looming over me._

" _Father…"  
_

" _You are no son of mine! What have you done to earn the right to call me your father? How did I, Hades, Lord of the Underworld, one of the Big Three, manage to sire such disappointing offspring?"_

 _I couldn't speak. This wasn't real, it couldn't have been…_

" _Your sister would have been a thousand times better, but you had to go and get her killed, now didn't you?" Hades spat, seething._

" _Not my fault- Bianca died- gave herself up- save everyone- " I could barely form coherent sentences as I scrabbled at the ground, pulling myself into a standing position. My body was no longer flesh, it was lead, growing heavier with every breath. I came to the sudden thought that I was weighing myself down._

" _LIES!" Hades boomed. What happened next happened so fast I barely registered it: His hand shot out from his side and struck me hard across the face. I staggered backwards several feet, clutching my stinging cheek._

 _Hades grotesquely morphed in front of my eyes. The hair elongated, eyes narrowed, skin darkened, robes silkened into a dress._

" _You deserve to die here." Her lips were twisted and her eyes were hard. "In Italy they would have had frocche disgustose come te taken with the Jews to the gas chambers! Not like it would have been a loss for me- a che serve un bambino danneggiato?"_

" _No…" I closed my eyes. The air here was no better than the air behind that wall. It was probably blistering my lungs and poisoning my insides._

" _Finally, I get to see you as you should be. An outcast. The pit called to you, Nico. It only takes those who truly deserve to die." A pair of sea green eyes were slanted, glinting wickedly._

" _Percy, please-"  
_

" _You think I'd help you? Yeah, right. Jason told me all about everything. I know your secret, Nico. It disgusts me more than you do. And you let me and Annabeth fall. You could have saved us, but you didn't."_

" _I'm sorry!" I was past denial, I would take it if someone would just get me out of here. I could see the monsters crowding in a circle, the second this was over, so was I._

" _Like you saying sorry is going to do anything. You're a son of the Big Three but you're as pathetic as the dirt on my shoe."_

" _You must be even dumber than I thought you were if you think I actually cared about you." a new voice snapped._

 _The scar on his lip stretched with his Cheshire cat's grin._

" _Jason! Don't leave me here, please, I can't take it anymo-"_

" _How many times are you going to fall for the same old trick, you worthless bastard?"_

" _Not you too, please, not you-"_

" _Nobody who says they care actually cares. The world doesn't work like that, least of all for you."_

" _You told Percy- you promised you wouldn't! You said you trusted me! You said!"_

" _You're an idiot for believing me, then."_

 _I choked on my own onslaught of tears as Jason was replaced by someone else._

" _Hazel?"_

" _You know, if I wanted to, I could help you. Do you know how easy it would be for me to get you out of here?" Her normally soft golden eyes were piercing and cold._

" _Then- then why don't you?" I stammered._

 _Hazel's laugh was high and cruel. "Because I know who you are! You killed your mother and your sister, you thought Jason Grace cared for you, you thought that Percy Jackson could love you- you thought I could love you, like anyone could possibly love someone like you."_

" _But- Hazel, I don't love Percy- anymore-" I could feel my eyes tearing up._

" _That may be true, but you and I both know you've fallen for a new Prince Charming." she spat. "If you thought I'd ever support you, you were wrong. You were only a way I could come back to life, and nothing more. Not a friend, not a colleague, and least of all a brother…"_

 _As quickly as I could breathe, she was gone and replaced with someone else._

" _Trust you? I wouldn't trust you if you laid down your life for me. Your death isn't worth a speck of my trust." Reyna scoffed, crossing her arms over her chain mail. Aurum and Argentum prowled at her side._

" _Don't talk like that." I choked out. "Please- Reyna, you said, you said you trusted me. YOU SAID!"_

 _Reyna only idly twirled her braid. "You did nothing but make my burdens worse. Aurum, Argentum-" She paused, locking gazes with me._

" _Attack."_

 _The dogs sprang at me. Their teeth were inches away from my face and they were on me, biting and clawing and tearing flesh and bone. The ground was rapidly soaking up my blood like a sponge._

 _I'm going to die here._

" _STOP!" someone shouted frantically. It wasn't Reyna, Jason, Percy, Hazel, or anyone else. It was a new voice that almost make me sob with relief._

" _Nico- oh my gods, what are you doing here? Come here, you're gonna be okay. My gods, Death Boy, I can't take my eyes off you for a minute before you get all bloodied up." Will Solace was standing there, arms outstretched, blue eyes full of concern._

" _Will- everyone- they all-" I gulped, my breathing uneven._

" _Sh, it's gonna be okay, Neeks. Come here."_

 _This was Will, even in Tartarus Will wouldn't do anything to hurt me, would he? After all, he didn't know anything about my past. And he was bi himself, so would he care if I was gay?_

 _No. No, he wouldn't._

 _Finally shedding all restraint, I lurched around blindly, my vision too blurred up by my own tears to see properly. Over the past several weeks, I learned Will's arms were always good for a hug._

 _I had learned that Will was safe._

 _My fingers came in contact with a warm body frame and I locked my own arms around it, only to be shoved to the ground. I landed hard on by back and stared up in horror into Will's blue eyes, crinkled as he doubled over in obnoxious, raucous laughter._

 _Even in hell, they never ceased being so blue._

" _My gods- can't believe- you actually FELL for it!" He wiped one of his eyes, a malicious smirk playing on his lips._

 _My lips started quivering and my nose was probably sniffling and Will only glared tauntingly._

" _What's the matter, di Angelo? Gonna cry?"_

 _He sounded like the kids who lived down the block in Italy, who would pull Bianca's pigtails and trip me in school, who would throw wadded-up paper and pebbles at us when we passed by their houses, jeering and jibing us for not having a father and calling our mother a variety of names for not having a husband._

 _He drew his foot back and I curled up into a ball instinctively as he landed blows in my side repeatedly._

" _Had enough? You don't think the kids at camp don't gossip about the infamous Nico di Angelo? You don't think your friends haven't warned me about you? Because let me tell you-"_

 _He leaned down and lifted my chin with one finger._

" _They have."_

 _He yanked his finger away and a split second after his palm came in contact with my cheek. It was a slap not nearly as forceful as Hades's, but it stung a thousand times more._

Will's POV

A scream echoed through the castle and I sat up straight in bed. Nico.

There was a cold sweat on my face and I was hyperventilating at what I had just witnessed. Before we left, I asked Clovis to link our dreams so I'd know what the hell was bothering Nico, since he refused to tell me. But I never expected something of this intensity. Was that really what he thought of me? Gods, I had tried to help in the dream, I _tried._ But my effort was overthrown by that- that _manifestation_ of Nico's worst fears.

But I couldn't worry about that now. I ran for the exit of the common room. More Slytherins were gathering in the common room, some pissed, most confused.

"Is the Baron going at it again?" one groaned.

"Whoever this Baron is, not really." Percy explained, already opening up the entrance. "It's Nico- PTSD and all that stuff. It's bad. Come _on,_ Will!" 

As we ran down the halls we collided with Jason, Reyna, and Hazel.

"We heard-" Hazel gasped, grasping the stitch in her side.

"Us too, how do we get into the Huffly-puff room?" Percy answered for me.

"Uh- somewhere near kitchens, I think?"

Suddenly, a kid in yellow pajamas came sprinting down the hall. I recognized him as the blond kid Nico was talking to and I felt slight jealousy coil in my gut.

"Frank told me to find you guys- you'd know what to do. Come on, I'll show the way." His tone was determined and with a wave of his arm he turned on his heel and started running again.

A few minutes later, we came to a stack of neatly piled barrels. He held out a hand, then tapped two of the barrels in a sort of five-part sequence. The lid of one of the barrels swung open and he grabbed the edge and hopped in as if this were normal.

None of us followed, all of us slightly perturbed. Then his head popped up and he gestured again.

"It's a passageway." A yelp echoed through the alleged passageway and that was all it took to get me to hop in after him. Everyone followed down the passage and we were in a cozy, dome-of-sorts common room. 

"The dorms are over here. Come on. Fourth-years stay in here. And since he's fourteen, well- he's a fourth year. Madame Pomfrey is heading over, she's just getting her ointments and stuff. One of you is also a healer, if I'm correct?"

Jason, Percy, and Hazel all shoved me in front and I shouldered a medical pack that I don't remember grabbing.

"Let's go."

When I heard the whimpering, I started walking faster, and by the time we burst into the dorms I was running.

Nico was encased in his own fear, literal fear woven from the night, and there were flowing down his cheeks. His dorm mates were in the corner of the room, as if Nico's night terrors scared them. Frank was with a middle aged woman who was rummaging through a bunch of bottles, passing them to him to hold.

"Nico! Come on, Neeks, wake up, you're _okay._ " I tried for my most calming voice as I bent the light to dispel the fear. It hissed and melted away slowly.

"That's it, Death Breath, come on. You're not _there,_ you're safe. This isn't Tartarus." With less fear around him, he was breathing slightly easier and the tears had stopped flowing. I gripped his wrist loosely, trying to transfer some calming vibes as I hummed a hymn to my father.

Suddenly his eyes snapped open and he shoved me off him so swiftly I was knocked to the floor. His hand had found his sword and it was pointed at me, Hazel, Reyna, Jason, and Percy.

"Get back." he growled, brandishing his weapon.

"Nico, that wasn't real. Whatever it was, it was fake." Jason tried pleading with him.

"You told everyone. You left me there. You could have done something!" Nico's voice tightened and his muscles went tense.

"Nico! That's enough!" Percy called. "It was just a dream and I should know. Annabeth and I-"

"Fell because I couldn't stop it fifteen feet away. After all, the pit only calls to those who truly deserve to die, don't they, Jackson?" With a jolt I realized he was quoting his dream.

Hazel stepped forward but Nico rounded on her. "Don't you start too! I know what you think of me, I'm no brother to you. And you-" He pointed with his sword at Reyna. "You set Aurum and Argentum on me. You said you trusted me."

"NICO!" I shouted, terror having long since replaced the blood in my veins. "I know what happened, I was there! The Morpheus kids gave me a potion, I saw the dream. I tried to help, but those dreams were just a manifestation of your worst fears! Whatever you feared the most coming from us, you saw. It wasn't _real._ "

I took a few brisk steps forward to grab the weapon from him and he slashed it wildly. It struck my arm, and I clutched the bleeding opening in my flesh.

Blood was seeping between my fingers and I looked at him with such a morose expression that he seemed to realize what he was doing. He dropped his sword and slumped onto the floor.

I let go of my arm and moved towards him. I reached out to touch him, but he scrambled backwards.

"Don't- don't t-touch me! Please- don't hurt me, not again."

"Nico- I would _never_ hurt you, you know that? Come here, you're gonna be okay. It'll all be fine." I opened my arms and in a split second I saw all the layers of insecurity, fear, and weariness peel away like onion skins.

He melted into my chest and I gripped him fiercely.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, _I'm sorry._ " he kept saying over and over again.

"Hey, hey. Let it out. It's okay. I'm here, Neeks. I'm here."

And within moments, the six of us were collapsed on the ground in the same emotional state, trying to comfort each other because by the gods, we all needed it.

The middle aged lady wandered over with Frank, who glanced worriedly at Nico behind the mountain of bottles.

"I'm Madame Pomfrey, the head Healer of Hogwarts. I have some things that could help your friend, required he stay in the infirmary overnight." There was a steely glint in her eyes, and I recognized it as the one Nico complained about, _the endlessly determined to get my way_ , glint.

"I'm not leaving Nico. I'm his medic. I've been doing this since I was seven, and, no disrespect, but I'm not leaving this child in the care of a stranger."

"Neither are we." Reyna spoke, standing up to her full height.

"I assure you, no harm will come to him in our infirminary. He may have _one_ overnight visitor if you feel so strongly about it, and the rest of you can visit during regular hours." Madame Pomfrey said with an air of finality.

"Will- you're not gonna leave, are you?" Nico whispered, voice trembling, and I felt my heart shatter.

"'Course not, Angel. I told you, nothing you could say or do would make me leave. Let's go then, how about it?"

"Al- alright."

 **WHAT HAPPENED THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A NICE CHAPTER AHHHHHHHH.**

 **It's like 6:50 AM right now, I'm sick as a dog, and I'm running on caffeine and a prayer- nah eff that I'm running on solely coffee because nobody even prays for me in the first place. I showed one of my classmates an excerpt of the angst and he looked so fucking horrified and just went "NO STOP IT WHAT THE HELL THAT'S SO MEAN" and called me a troll.**

 **Meh. This bitch is thirty five pages long. Be satisfied, readers.**

 **Lots and lots of kudos to DDaughterofAthena. She helped me clarify which characters belonged in which Houses, so thank you for that! :D**

 **Happy reading, all!**


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